Heat transfer



Dec. 10, 1935. 'LYSHOLM 2,023,965

HEAT TRANSFER Filed-May 28, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l l Z' l.

zyf a 4 $5? Dec. 10, 1935. A. LYSHOLM 2,023,955

HEAT TRANSFER Filed May 28. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11.: ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1935 HEAT TRANSFER All Lysholm, Stockholm, Sweden, asslgnor to Aktiebolaget Ljungstriims Angtnrbin, Stockholm, Sweden, a joint-stock company of Sweden Application May 28, 1931, Serial No. 540,550

In Sweden May 21, 1930 12 Claims.

10 fluid and metal with smaller volume occupiedby metal and/or with less resistance than in prior structures.

Straight passage regenerative and recuperative heat exchange apparatuses are known. In

15 the prior structures having straight passages there has not been suflicient heat transfer because of what might be termed layer formation of the fluid. If a fluid flows through a straight pipe which is hotter than the fluid, the pipe will 2 heat what might be considered as a layer of the fluid adjacent the pipe, but conduction of heat through the fluid is relatively slow, and the fluid will passthrough a pipe of reasonable length for heat transfer purposes without having the heat transmitted sufllciently to the inner portion or core of the fluid in the pipe. This has been recognized, and to overcome the difliculty turbulence has been employed. This turbulence has been especially highly developed in regenerative 00 heat exchange apparatus. In earlier proposed structures, a honeycomb structure of bricks has been proposed. It will immediately be obvious that such a structure is impractical to clean.

Cleaning is a vital factor in heat transmission 35 apparatus, since in the majority of cases the heat conveying fluid contains material likely to deposit in the heat transfer apparatus. This is particularly true of products of combustion from a coal-burning furnace, and, for example, hot

40 gas from a cement kiln. It will be clear that there are any number of pockets in a brick honeycomb structure which can be clogged by soot or other particles, and cakes of material can be formed in the heat transfer apparatus to such 45 an extent as to render the apparatus useless after a relatively short period of operation.

Plate structures have been evolved in attempts to obtain cleanable structures with adequate heat,transfer. One such structure con- 50 sists of plates with corrugations extending obliquely to the line of flow of fluid, the corrugations of adjacent plates extending in oppositely oblique, and with the corrugated plates touching each other. Such a structure. instead 55 of giving oblique flow, provides a continuous crossing of gaseous fluid from one channel to another. Thus the fluid acquires a high turbulent condition, and the heat transfer is good, but such structure has a very large pressure drop when dimensioned to give good heat transfer because of the production of violent turbulence, and, what is more serious, a multitude of irregular surfaces are provided to which soot and other impurities can readily adhere and cake. For the reason that gaseous fluid is given a 10 highly turbulent action in such a structure, a stream of cleaning fluid is likewise given a highly turbulent action and cannot provide good cleaning effect. Subsequently, an alternating straight plate and corrugated plate structure was suggested with contacting plates providing straight passages in linewith the general direction of flow of the gaseous fluid. This was in eflect a reversion to the straight passage, and

it was likewise found that if the dimensions were so small as to avoid differential temperature in the stream of gaseous fluid, a high resistance to flow was obtained. Such resistance is designated by the term pressure drop, which means the difference in pressure at the inlet and at the outlet of the heat transfer plate structure or mass.

To overcome this, it was later proposed to have larger spacing, but to prevent stratiflcation by alternate expansion and contraction of the gaseous fluid. This provided some improvement, but the pressure drop was appreciable, due to the energy required to continually expand and contract the gaseous fluid.

The object of my invention is to improve structure of this general type, and I may briefly describe my improved structure by stating that I- -flow a large part of the fluid in an unobstructed straight path through the metal heat transfer mass at uniform pressure without 40 abrupt change of direction of flow at the inlet to and the outlet from the mass, and flow a plurality of other parts of the fluid aggr ating less in volume than such largepart of the fluid, in

. contact with such large part of the fluid and angularly with respect thereto, and with material change of direction of flow at the inlet to and the outlet from the mass, to produce lateral movement in the unobstructed path due to molecular friction. By utilizing this principle, I obtain uniformity of cross-section of flow in the large free passage, and still obtain suiilcient movement of the gaseous fluid in the unobstrucstructed path offlow to avoid stratification, without the use of bailing, and I provide a structure which is not likely to collect impurities, and which can be easily cleaned.

My invention will be understood by reference to the following specification read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part-of the specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through a heat exchanger of the regenerative type suitable for embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of part of one plate of heat transfer structure in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the plate shown in Fig. 2; I

Fig. 4 is a part of another form of plate forming a part of structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the plate shown in Fig. 4 and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective assembled view of plate structure embodying the invention.

Fig. 1' is a vertical sectional view through a casing l which contains a rotor 2. This rotor, which is of cylindrical form and open at the top and bottom is mounted on a shaft 3. The shaft 3 is supported and guidedby axial and thrust bearings 4 and radial bearings 5. The

rotor is filled with the regenerative mass 6 which according to the invention consists of plates made up in a certain manner. The casing I is divided into two channels for the fluids, between which heat transfer .shall take place. The rotor 2 rotates in such manner that the heat transferring mass alternately passes within the channel for the one and the channel for the other fluid. At l-the casing is provided with an inlet and at 8 with an outlet for the heat deliveringmedium, and at 9. with an inlet and at. It with an outlet for the heat absorbing medium.

If the apparatus is used as an air preheater for boilers, the flue gases enter through the inlet opening! and are discharged through the outlet opening 8. The air to be preheated enters through the opening 9 and is discharged through the opening I0. These four openings are provided, as shown inthe figure, with fiangesby means of which the preheater casing I can be connected to those conduits or pipes which are required for conducting the gaseousfluld to and from the different places of utilization. In order to free the plates of the regenerative mass from impurities, there are arranged two steam pipes l2 and I3 provided with holes, by means of which the impurities may periodically be blown away with steam jets, as disclosed in the figure. This removal of soot takes place, while the heat carrying rotor rotates. By these means all the plates become successively cleaned. The removal of soot from the air preheater or'the cleaning of the heat transferring apparatus maythus be diameter fixed to the shaft. These walls divide therotor intoga number of segments which, in

are divided into smaller chambers byimeansof wallsarranged concentrically with the outer Shell.

In such chamber, plates are inserted at a certain-distance from each other, so that channels are'formed between the plates. r

Figs. 2 to 6 show the preferred formof t arrows.-

transfer structure embodying the invention. Inasmuch as the invention is specifically described with reference to a regenerative type heat transfer apparatus the heat transfer structure is herein, but without limitation, referred'to as regen- 5 erative mass. The regenerative mass comprises a plurality of substantially flat plates l1, alternatively arranged with respect to what I term undulated plates l6. That is, between any two adjacent substantially flat plates ll there is an 10 undulated plate l6. Likewise, the undulated plates l6 are separated by the substantially flat plates I1. Both the substantially flat plates and the undulated plates are arranged in the general line of flow of gaseous fluidthrough the'heat 15 transfer apparatus. This general direction of flow is vertical in the device shown in Fig. l, and any statements of direction -hereinafter made are to be understood as with reference to Fig. 1, it being clear, however, that vertical flow is not 20 essential.

The plates are generally rectangular as applied to the structure of Fig. 1, with vertical side edges and horizontal top and bottom edges. The plates I! are formed with widely spaced vertical 2- 25 shaped corrugations 20. These corrugations 20 act as spacers and as edge walls for fluid passage space between them. The corrugations may advantageously be of such form that the angle a is half the angle [2. The angle a may, for exam- 30 ple, be 15. The corrugations 20 are spaced so far apart that there are flat areas of relatively large extent between them. As a dimensional example, the lateral extent of the corrugation 20 to either side of the general plane of plate 85 llmay be 3 to 6 millimeters, while the distance 2| between'the corrugations may be 80 millimeters. The plate may be described as having widely spaced projections in the general line of flow. providing furrows which are relatively wide 40 and which are flat-bottomed, and which are relatively low in height comparedto their width, although the .height of these furrows is great compared to the height of furrows in adjacent plates, as will presently be brought out. The 45 plates l6 are uniformly undulated as shown in and 60 to the line of flow.

Fig. 5, which is a section through the plate It at right angles to the extension of the corrugations, shows the form of the undulated plate. The height of the undulation preferably is 1-3 millimeters, at the same time as the distance between the crests'of the undulations is 14 millimeters. The undulations on theplates I6 thus have a height which at most is' half and preferably may be less than a third of the height of the corrugations on the-plate II. For all forms of embodiment ofplates here described millimeter thick plates have been used, but of course other plate thicknesses may be used.

6 are shown plam according to Figs.

2 to 5, placed together adjacent each other in the way they are arranged in the chambers of the rotor.- A Z-shaped corrugated plate I] is thus bordered by two undulated plates 16. The directionofmainflow'ofthegasesisindicatedbythe The function of my improved regenerative mass applied to the structure of Fig. 1 is as follows:

The hot fluid, for instance, hot products of combustion coming from a furnace, enters the apparatus at 'I and leaves at 8. It flows through the passages between the plates Ii and II. The general line of flow is vertical. The corrugations 20 act as spacers, so that no parts of the flat portions of the plates l'l between the spacers 28 touch the crests of the undulated plates Ii. Therefore, there is a free, unobstructed area of flow straight in the general direction of flow between-plates l6 and I1 and between the corrugations or spacers 20. This is the passage space afforded by the furrows in the plates II. We

-' may consider that the spaces within the furrows of the undulated plates l6 are-to one sideof the free passage spaces formed by the furrows in plates H. The furrows in the undulated plates 16 are, so to speak, V-bottomed in contrast to the flat-bottomed furrows of the plates l1, and it will be clear that the cross-sectional area of any furrow in the undulated plates is but a small a fraction of the cross-sectional area of the furrows in the plates H. The sum of the cross-sectional areas of furrows in the plates l6 adjacent to a furrow in a plate I1, is less than the crosssectional area of the furrow in plate ll.

Some of the gaseous fluid passes along the furrows in plate Hi. The fluid in the furrows of plate 46 is not free to flow in the general direction of -flow, but is diverted due to the oblique disposition of the undulations, so that it must flow obliquely "to the main line of flow. Whereas there is noabrupt change of gaseous fluid at the inlet to and the outlet from the furrows in the plate H, the free flow of the fluid is obstructed in the furrows of plate It, due to the oblique position. However,'the flow in the furrows of both plates is entirely uniform. There is no expansion and contraction of the gaseous fluid. Thus, if we consider a complete passage as bounded by the spaces of the corrugations 20 and the bottoms of opposite furrows, the passage may be considered as divided into a large straight free unobstructed passage space and a plurality of smaller adjacent oblique passage spaces. It will be noted, however, that the cross sectional area of the complete passage in uniform. Due to the fact that the large passage spaces in the furrows of the plate H are in direct gas contact with the smaller ob-- lique passage spaces to one side thereof,'molecular friction causes lateral flow in the furrows of plate l'l. Thus there is a lateral movement of gaseous fluid in the large unobstructedpassage space outside the undulations of the plate IS in the direction toward which the undulations are inclined with respect to the direction of flow. This lateral movement is, however, checked by the corrugations 20, and thus there is produced a lateral movement in the opposite direction adjacent-the flat portions of the plate l1. Thus a controlled circulatory movement of gaseous fluid is produced in the unobstructed passage space. This gives what may be considered a modified maintaining a constant crosssectional area of flow and without the use of bailiing, and no energy is lost by compression and expansion.

The hot fluid thus effectively heats the plates and the hot plates are slowly rotated as part of the rotor to the other side of the apparatus in the path of the fluid to be heated. The fluid to be heated, for instance, fresh air, enters at i and leaves at Ill. Its passage through the plate structure is the same as that of the hot fluid. The heat is here given up in the fresh air, which passes to the furnace or other place of utilization.

On account of the great distance between the I 5 corrugations, there are fewer points of contact between the plates than in known embodiments. This reduces the number of places in which soot or other impurities are easily collected.

The greatest advantage with a regenerative mass according to the invention is that a given heat quantity canbe transferred from a gas to the plate and vice versa, with a smaller plate surface and at the some time with less resistance than in hitherto known types.

The invention is not limited to apparatus of the type shown in Fig. 1, but may be applied to a great variety of heat transfer apparatuses.

What I claim is:

1. In heat transfer apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluids thereto and means to withdraw the fluids therefrom and formed to provide a path of flow of fluid therein in a given general direction, a heat transfer plate structure comprising spaced substantially flat plates disposed in the direction of fluid flow, undulated plates between said substantially flat plates having uniform furrows, said undulated plates being disposed so that the furrows run obliquely to and at an appreciable angle to the given direction of flow, and said substantially flat plates havingcorrugations extending in said general direction of flow and spaced many times the width of the furrows in the undulated plates for separating the flat portions of the plates from 85 the'undulated plates, said furrsws being open at the ends and said plates permitting ready access of fluid to the spaces between them, whereby straight unobstructed passage spaces are formed adjacent the substantially straight plates adapted 40 for free flow of gaseous fluid in the general direction of flow and oblique flow takes place in the furrows in contact with the free flowing gaseous fluid and causes the free flowing gaseous fluid to move sideways in one direction adjacent the undulated plate and sideways in the opposite direction adjacent the substantially straight plate while maintaining constancy of cross-sectional area of flow.

, 2. In heat transfer apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluids thereto and means to withdraw the fluids therefrom and formed to provide a path of flow of fluid therein in a given general direction, a heat transfer plate structure comprising spaced sub- 5 stantially flat plates disposed in the direction of fluid flow, undulated plates between said substantially flat plates having uniform furrows, said" undulated plates being disposed so that the furrows run obliquely to and at an appreciable angle to the given direction of flow, members extending in said general direction of flow and spaced many times the width of the furrows in the undulated plates for separating the flat portions of the plates from the undulated plates, said furrows being open at the ends and said plates permitting ready access of fluid to the spaces between them, whereby straight unobstructed passage spaces are formed adjacent the substantially straight plates adapted for free flow of gaseous fluid in the general direction of flow and oblique flow'takes place in the furrows in contact with the free flowing gaseous fluid and causes the free flowing gaseous fluid to move sideways in one direction'adjacent the undulated plate and sideways in the opposite direction adjacent the substantially straight plate while maintaining constancy of cross-sectional area of flow.

3. In heat transfer apparatus including avcasing and provided with means to supply gaseous fluids thereto andmeans to withdraw the fluids therefrom and formed to provide a path of flow of fluid therein in a given direction, a heat transfer plate structure comprising spaced substantially flat plates disposed in the direction of fluid flow and having projections forming furrows 'of relatively great width to height, said furrows being flat-bottomed, plates between said substantially flat plates undulated to form V -bottomed furrows, said undulated plates being disposed so that the V-bottomed furrows run obliquely to and at an appreciable angle to the given direction of flow, said furrows being open at the ends and said plates permitting ready access of fluid to the spaces between them, the V-shaped furrowsbeing of less height than the flat-bottomed furrows and many times narrower in width thanthe flat-- the substantially fiat plates while maintainin constancy of cross-sectional area of flow. I

4. In heat transfer apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluids thereto and means to withdraw the fluids therefrom and formed to provide flow offluid therein in a given general direction, a heat transfer plate structure comprising an undulated plate having uniform furrows, 'said undulated plate being disposed in the general-line of flow with the furrows extending obliquely to and at an appreciable angle to the given direction offlow and a plate section arranged generally parallel to and every where spaced from said undulated plate and extending transversely of the general ,direction'of flow many times the width of the furrows, whereby a large straight free flow passage space is provided between the plate section and the crests of the furrows and movement of fluid in the furrows induces lateral movement in the free flow.

passage while providing substantially constant cross-sectional area of, flow. I r

5. In heat transfer apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluids thereto and means to withdraw the fluids therefrom and formedto provide flow of. fluid therein in agiven general direction, a heat transfer plate structure comprising an undulated'plate having uniform furrows, said undulated plate being disposed in the-general line of flow with the furrows extending obliquely to and at an appreciable angle to t e given direction of flow and a plate section arranged generally pa a el to and everywhere spaced'from said undulated plate and extending transversely of the general direction of flow many times the width of the furrows, whereby a large straight free flow passage space is provided between the plate section and the crests of J the furrows and movement of fluid in the furrows induces lateralmovement in the .free flow passage while providing substantially constant crosssectional area of flow. and means to reverse the sideways flow in the free flow passage space to produce circulatory movement therein.

6. In heat transfer apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluid thereto and means to withdraw the fluid therea from andformed to provide flow of fluid therein in a given general direction, heat transfer mass comprising plates formed with shallow V-bottomed furrows and alternately disposed plates formed with flat-bottomed furrows several times 10 as wide as the v -bottomed furrows, the furrows opening toward each other and being angularly disposed with respect to each other with the flat-bottomed furrows disposed longitudinally of said given general direction and with the V-bot- 15 tomed furrows disposed obliquely with respect to said given general direction, the flat-bottomed furrows being materially deeper than the V-bottomed furrows.-

7 In heat transfer apparatus including a frame 20 work providedwith means to supply gaseous fluid thereto and means to withdraw the fluid therefrom and formed to provide flow of fluid therein in a given general direction, a metal mass in said framework comprising different kinds of 25 plates placed alternatelmone kind consisting of rectangular plates having furrows extending obliquely to the edges thereof, .and the other kind consisting of rectangular'plates substantially entirely flat and' having spacers thereon extending 30 parallel to the edges thereof and parallel to said given general direction, said spacers being spaced apart several times the width of said furrows.

8. In heat transfer apparatus including a frame work provided with means to supply gaseous fluid thereto and means to withdraw the fluid therefrom and formed to provide flow of fluid there-' in, in a giveng-general direction, a metal mass in said frame work comprising diiferent kinds ofplates alternately, one kind consist- 40 ing of rectangular uniformly undulated plates having'shallow furrows extending obliquely to the edges thereof and the other kind consisting of rectangular plates substantially entirely flat and having Wers thereon extending parallel tolthe edgesthereof and" parallel to said given generaldirection, said spacers being spaced apart several times the width of said furrows and having a height materially greater than the heishtof said furrows. 9. Inheat transfer apparatus including-a casing provided withmeans to 'supplygaseous fluid thereto and means to withdraw'the fluid therefrom and formed to provide flow of fluid therein in a given general direction, a heat exchange plate structure comprising plates. formed and spaced to provide an unobstructed straight path through the structure in said given general direction without abrupt change of direction of flow 'at the inlet to and the outlet from the plate 6o structure and a plurality of oblique paths having cross sectional areas aggregating less than that of "the straight path in open communica- -tion with thestra'ight path at one side thereof and with material change in direction at the inlet to andthe outlet from the plate structure.

10. In heat transfer-apparatus including a casing provided with means to supply gaseous fluid thereto and means to withdraw the fluid therefrom andformed'to'provide flow of fluid therein 7 0,

in a given general direction, a heat exchange structure comprising plates of diflerent kinds, one of said kinds consistingof plates formed with shallow obliquely with respect to said given general direction and the other kind" I consisting of substantially entirely flat plates formed with spaced parallel Z-shaped corrugations projecting from both sides of the plates, said corrugations being spaced apart several times the width of said furrows and being disposed parallel to said given general direction of flow, and said different kinds of plates being disposed alternately in said structure.

11. The method of heat transfer between fluid and solid which comprises flowing the major portion of the fluid in an unobstructed straight path through the solid at uniform pressure without material change of general direction of flow at the inlet to and the outlet from the solid, and flowing a plurality of other parts of the fluid aggregating a minor portion of the fluid in contact with said major portion of the fluid and angularly with respect thereto and with material change of direction of flow at the inlet to and the outlet from the solidto produce lateral movement of fluid in the unobstructed path due to molecular friction.

12. In heat transfer apparatus including heat exchange structure, means forming a part of said structure providing an unobstructed straight path for flow through said structure of fluid in a given general direction without material change of general direction of flow, and means provid-' ing a plurality of paths for flow of fluid in contact with the fluid in said straight path and oblique with respect to said general direction of flow, the last mentioned paths for oblique flow having an aggregate cross-sectional area less than the cross-sectional area of said straight path of flow, and the combined cross-sectional area of the straight path of flow and'the oblique paths of flow in contact therewith being substantially constant from the inlet to the outlet of 15 the heat exchange structure, whereby to provide tor flow of fluid through the structure at substantially uniform pressure and with lateral movement of fluid in the unobstructed straight path due to molecular friction between such fluid go and the fluid flowing in said oblique paths.

ALF LYSHOLM. 

